JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
230 
[ September 8, 1881. 
Camellias judiciously, as Mr. Bardney advocates. Not only are 
the Camellias improved, but slight shade preserves the other 
flowering plants that are, or may be, blooming in the house 
at the same time. Pelargoniums and such plants when in 
flower used to fall quickly before I shaded, and now they keep 
their colour better and last much longer before falling.— An 
Amateur. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cabbage as a spring crop is one of the most valuable, as, though 
a constant supply throughout the year may not be indispensable, the 
lack of a good supply in spring and early summer would in most 
places be a serious drawback. As soon as the plants aie ready trans¬ 
plant them at once in rows about 18 inches asunder, with the plants 
15 inches apart, but those from later sowings will require more 
room, 2 feet between the rows and 18 inches apart not being too 
much. Attend to the plants from the August sowing in keeping 
them free from slugs, dusting whilst damp with quicklime, dry wood 
ashes, or soot; avoid keeping the plants too thickly in the seed beds. 
Winter Spinach will soon require thinning, which should be attended 
to before the plants become too large, allowing sufficient space be¬ 
tween the plants to prevent damping-off in bad weather, keeping the 
surface soil between the rows well stirred. Take every opportunity 
in favourable weather to use the hoe amongst all growing crops, so 
as to prevent the necessity for hand-weeding. Thin-out autumn- 
sown Onions to about 3-inch distance apart, which will allow of 
every alternate plant being drawn in spring for early use as needed. 
Take up the main crop of Onions, exposing them for a few days 
before storing away in a dry cool room or on shelves, stringing or 
tying in bunches such as are available for that purpose. 
As ground becomes vacant fill it with late plants of Coleworts, 
Endive, and Lettuce according to probable requirements. Any pits 
or frames at liberty should have Endive or Lettuce pricked into 
them for winter use, keeping them duly supplied with water if the 
weather be dry, not putting on the lights until there is likely to be 
frost. The Lettuces from a sowing made at the end of July, planted 
in frames now, will do much better than when deferred until the 
season is more advanced. Late Turnips should be moderately thinned 
so as to allow due development. Keep up a supply of small salading 
by sowing at intervals proportionate to the requirements. Badish 
seed must be sown on sheltered borders ; and where sowing has been 
deferred of such varieties for winter use as China Bose and Black 
Spanish, the seed may yet be sown, protecting the plants in severe 
weather ; they will afford good roots during severe weather, and more 
crisp than those taken up and stored. Select fine days for tying-up 
Cos Lettuces and Endive, also for earthing Celery. Any Potatoes in 
the ground should be lifted at once, except late sorts, which should 
not remain a day after the foliage shows disease spots. The haulm 
should at once be burned, instead of being allowed to decay on the 
ground or on the rubbish heap. Globe Artichokes should have all 
useless stems cut away, and all decayed leaves removed, so as to 
admit of light and air to harden them at the base. Bemove the 
leaves from over the clusters of Tomatoes in order to advance the 
ripening process, cutting the most forward, and hanging them in a 
dry airy house, which will give the later-set fruit a better oppor¬ 
tunity of maturing. A first planting of French Beans should be 
made in pots, 10-inch pots being most suitable ; half a dozen Beans 
being placed in each, standing them as close to the glass as practicable 
in a house with a night temperature of GO 0 , and 70° to 75° by day. 
Osborn’s Forcing is a suitable variety. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Wall trees should be examined now for the purpose of stopping 
such shoots on Pear, Plum, Cherry, and Apricot trees as have made 
secondary growth, pinching them back to one joint, so as to keep the 
spurs close to the wall and to allow of sun and air having free access 
to them, so as to secure as far as possible the ripening of the wood. 
Extensions must be secured to the wall as they advance in growth ; 
and the shoots of Peaches and Nectarines, also Morello Cherries 
required for next year’s bearing, should also be secured with twigs, 
nailing or tying as may be expedient. Be careful not to have them 
too crowded. They should be so distributed that the sun and air 
can act freely on the foliage, as upon this depends the ripening of 
the wood and its fruitfulness another season. These growths should 
not be closer than 12 to 15 inches apart, keeping the sub-laterals 
pinched to one joint. The fruit of Peaches and Nectarines are now 
generally ripening, and will require attention daily. Later kinds 
require attention in turning the leaves aside or shortening them, so as 
to expose the fruit to the sun to give colour and flavour. Pyramid, 
bush, and espalier trees of Pear, Plum, Apple, and Cherry should be 
given, so far as the summer pruning is concerned, a final stopping 
and regulation of the shoots, attending to the gathering of Apples 
and Pears as they become ripe. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—The fruit in the latest houses will soon 
be all cleared off, and to insure the proper maturation of the wood 
all shoots not required for next season’s bearing or the extension of 
the trees should be cut out, so as to admit all the sun and air possible 
to those retained. The foliage must be kept free from red spider by 
thorough cleansing with the garden engine, syringe, or hose, well 
watering the inside borders, and where the lights are moveable remove 
them as soon as the wood is well ripened. The trees in the earliest- 
forced house will soon shed their leaves; the shoots may then be 
loosened from the trellis in order to have the house painted and 
otherwise thoroughly cleansed. Soil should now be procured and 
stacked for future use. Peaches and Nectarines do best in strong 
turfy loam, and if of a chalky or calcareous character so much the 
better ; but if not, add to it a tenth of old mortar rubbish or pieces 
of chalk, and the trees with proper surface dressings will afford fruit 
of the finest quality. Where early forcing is contemplated the trees 
should be planted at the latest by the end of this month. The best 
Peaches for early forcing are Alexander, a new fine American sort 
coming in earlier than Early Beatrice, Hale’s Early, A Bee, Boyal 
George, Grosse Mignonne, Noblesse, and Stirling Castle. Those will 
give a succession extending over several weeks, but where there is a 
number of houses the three latter may be omitted from the earliest 
house. In Nectarines—Lord Napier, Advance, Elruge, and Yiolette 
Hative are good and reliable for early forcing. 
Pines .—Suckers obtained from the summer-fruiting plants will soon 
be ready for repotting. Shift the strongest plants into the fruiting 
pots, 10 or 11-inch, according to the variety, giving them a light 
position, and keeping them steadily growing through the winter 
months; these will start in May or June, affording a good supply of 
early autumn fruit. The remainder of the plants should be wintered 
in 7 or 8-inch pots, and be transferred to the fruiting pots so soon as 
ready in spring; and these, in conjunction with Smooth-leaved 
Cayenne and Charlotte Bothschild started as suckers last March, 
will afford a successional supply through the winter months, being 
aided by Queens and Jamaicas started with those already referred to 
in March. It will be necessary about this time to re-arrange the 
plants, especially those started as suckers last autumn, and which 
now have fruit swelling off. The plants that have completed their 
growth will start into fruit more readily if now subjected for about 
six weeks to liberal ventilation. Scarcely too much air can be given 
when the temperature exceeds 80°, that being a sufficient temperature 
also for the roots. 
Figs .—The wood of the trees in the earliest-forced house is now 
ripening, and watering should be discontinued. Where the trees 
grow too vigorously it is a good plan to root-prune them and cir¬ 
cumscribe the borders, making them only 3 feet in width. A good 
surface dressing may be given after the root-pruning, using rich loam 
with a little bone meal intermixed. If there be any doubt about the 
drainage it will be necessary to lift the trees when the leaves are 
falling, root-pruning and replanting in good soil. About a foot of 
brickbats with old lime rubbish screened should be employed for 
drainage, loam with about a tenth each of old mortar rubbish and 
road scrapings intermixed forming suitable soil, which should be 
A1 
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WORK, F0 ^ THE WEEK.' 
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